Problem - Upgrading the firmware for an ISY 994i/IR PRO

[Ed Bean]

I have been having a problem upgrading the v.4.9.0 firmware on my ISY 994i/IR PRO. Under the Help menu tab there is no "automatic upgrade" option under Help. If I try the manual upgrade process I do everything as usual, clear cache, etc. but when I get to the "save a backup copy" section of the process I get caught in a loop. If I say make a backup it comes back after the save file screen when finished. If I choose the "do not backup" option it still returns to the save file screen. No matter how I get to the save file screen, the only button highlighted for use is "cancel".

My systems info etc. is attached.

I have been able to upgrade in the past. I have all virus protection turned off. I even tried to restart my mac in safe mode to make sure nothing else was running.

Am I missing something? I have tried to wade through the tons of available information but I am not really finding anything that helps me.

1.Is it no longer possible to upgrade this box?

2. I really wan to use the UD Mobile app but it says my current firmware is 4.9.0 and it requires 5.0.16 or higher.

3. If I need to do a complete reinstall to clear up the problem how should I do that (and can I reload all my device information)?

 

[Geddy]

@Ed Bean First off...what Firmware are you trying to upgrade to?

Do you have a Z-Wave controller in the ISY? It doesn't appear that you do based on the about screen you gave.

4.9.0 is the last version in the 4.x branch. You do not have the "automatic update" option beyond that version. You will need to upgrade to the 5.x branch.

Currently the ISY994i most recent version is 5.3.4 (found here to get upgrade steps).

Please note...there is possibly a LOT of user interaction needed to upgrade to the 5.x branch. Please read the post linked and the steps needed to upgrade. READ THEM FIRST! Don't read and proceed at the same time. Make sure you know what your steps are as they are important to follow ALL the steps.

Most important step is to copy current programs to a text document for review once you're updated so you know they are working correctly once you're upgraded. 

You're a mac user so there are some differences with how that works compared to windows PCs, but overall it should be simple and straight forward. 

Make sure that you do NOT unzip the file you download for the firmware. It must stay in the compressed folder/file format that is downloaded. This is something mac users sometimes have issues with as the OS handles compressed files differently. 

Also, once you get to step 7 make sure you follow those directions. 

7.  Launch the 5.3.0 Admin Console and/or Dashboard by going to the following link:

  -  https://isy.universal-devices.com/start.jnlp

 

This will be the launcher (mentioned here). That should get you back into admin console. Again, MAC sometimes does, and sometimes doesn't work right. Since I don't use mac I don't know why/how some users can run this without issues and others have lots of problems. 

If you read the directions of how to upgrade to 5.x and still have problems then I would suggest you open a support ticket and request help with the upgrade. 

Submit a Ticket:       https://www.universal-devices.com/my-tickets
Email:                           support@universal-devices.com

 

Final comment...if you've got a Windows PC available I would suggest running the upgrade from there. Seems to be less issues than those running Mac (just personal preference/experience from reading so many posts around here). 

 

[MrBill]

Try using the backup option first.  File --> backup ISY.

If you can successfully get your backup file there, then you can say no to the backup question under Manually Upgrade.

Use version 5.3.4 since you don't appear to have z-wave.

A few more helpful tips:

1) make a text back up of your programs.  If a program uses "adjust scene" it will need manual help after the upgrade.  To make a text backup of your programs, click the top folder on the programs tab (usually named "My Programs") and then right click it, choose "copy Folder to Clipboard" then paste the clipboard into any old text editor that won't try to add formatting and save it.  If you need to reference it later you can.

2) after the upgrade make your first stop in the admin console Help --> About.  Verify you have the same versions for Firmware and UI

3) second stop in the admin console Programs --> Summary look for the color Yellow in the ACTIVITY and STATUS columns.  If you find any it's like that either the program contained "adjust scene" and needs manual help to put it back the way it was, or you failed to check#2 above.

[Ed Bean]

My Thanks to both Getty and Mr. Bill!!!!

SUCCESS

I was able to wade through all your information and install firmware 5.3.4.

It was not easy to understand and much of the information did not apply (I hope). It would really be a boon to Universal Devices to hire a documentation expert to clean up all the instructions etc. Some of your customers like me do not work on our ISY every day. I had not upgraded my system in several years. I have written a few new programs in the last year, but even that is hard to pick up when you haven't used it for a while. I know I am speaking with experts and it is hard for you to know what I do not know. Example: When you told me I should back up my programs to text by copying the folders and pasting them in a text editor I tried to do exactly what you said and it failed. I finally figured out that I needed to use the "export to clipboard" option instead of copy to clipboard. (The information exported was in hypertext so I am not sure what use it would have been to me... unexplained). There was a lot of information that could have been better imparted through an old fashion decision logic table. If you have this, then do this, then return to here and continue. For example there were different versions of the software to download. I am not familiar with Z-Wave and many other topics so how do I know whether I have it or need an upgrade version with it?

It is nice that a user forum exists, but it is like searching for the holy grail buried on a beach somewhere in the world. Once a problem has a verified good answer in the forum the information should be cleaned up and placed in the official documentation so hundreds of people are not tripping over the same rock in the path to the information they need.

Now on to my next search for information. How to set up the UD Mobile app with accounts for unsophisticated users that should have the ability to do simple tasks (like dim a light) without mucking up the entire ISY. Are the users programmed into the ISY the same ones programmed into the app. I doubt it. But I haven't a clue, and I am not sure I want to invest all the time to find out.

Sincere Thanks,

Hopefully someone will read this and get a clue. OR... give me better clues.

[MrBill]

6 minutes ago, Ed Bean said:

information did not apply (I hope).

I agree the written upgrade instructions are hard to follow and contain something that are outdated.

9 minutes ago, Ed Bean said:

I finally figured out that I needed to use the "export to clipboard" option instead of copy to clipboard.

Actually you wanted copy to clipboard.  Not sure why it didn't work.  One problem I have helping people along is that I have no idea how things work on a Mac.  Last time I replaced my laptop i was going to go the Mac route (already in the apple ecosystem for phone and tablet) but in the end just couldn't justify the additional $$

12 minutes ago, Ed Bean said:

old fashion decision logic table.

Agree.

[lilyoyo1]

15 minutes ago, Ed Bean said:

My Thanks to both Getty and Mr. Bill!!!!

SUCCESS

I was able to wade through all your information and install firmware 5.3.4.

It was not easy to understand and much of the information did not apply (I hope). It would really be a boon to Universal Devices to hire a documentation expert to clean up all the instructions etc. Some of your customers like me do not work on our ISY every day. I had not upgraded my system in several years. I have written a few new programs in the last year, but even that is hard to pick up when you haven't used it for a while. I know I am speaking with experts and it is hard for you to know what I do not know. Example: When you told me I should back up my programs to text by copying the folders and pasting them in a text editor I tried to do exactly what you said and it failed. I finally figured out that I needed to use the "export to clipboard" option instead of copy to clipboard. (The information exported was in hypertext so I am not sure what use it would have been to me... unexplained). There was a lot of information that could have been better imparted through an old fashion decision logic table. If you have this, then do this, then return to here and continue. For example there were different versions of the software to download. I am not familiar with Z-Wave and many other topics so how do I know whether I have it or need an upgrade version with it?

It is nice that a user forum exists, but it is like searching for the holy grail buried on a beach somewhere in the world. Once a problem has a verified good answer in the forum the information should be cleaned up and placed in the official documentation so hundreds of people are not tripping over the same rock in the path to the information they need.

Now on to my next search for information. How to set up the UD Mobile app with accounts for unsophisticated users that should have the ability to do simple tasks (like dim a light) without mucking up the entire ISY. Are the users programmed into the ISY the same ones programmed into the app. I doubt it. But I haven't a clue, and I am not sure I want to invest all the time to find out.

Sincere Thanks,

Hopefully someone will read this and get a clue. OR... give me better clues.

Im with you in that I think their documentation can use some help. At the same time however, if you aren't keeping up with a system for years at a time, most likely you'll still struggle as no documentation is perfect for all users. 

The "experts" here are experts because we stay involved. Take a smartphone. If you've used a dumb phone all these years, how hard would it be to get used to what a Galaxy s22 can do? 

I go through this with family and friends often. I try to get them to buy things i use so that when they come to me for help, I know how to troubleshoot. It's an ongoing debate because they feel locked into my world but i tell them they aren't paying for my time so it's not fair that i have to take the time to research what they buy to fix their problems. 

The same applies here. Automation is complicated by nature. Yes, it works great and not something you have to worry about for the most part.....until you do. That's why being involved (not saying like most of us are) is important. So much can change in a short period of time, it'll be like starting over every single time. By staying involved, you keeping up with things as they change which makes transitioning much easier.

Even caching forum answers isn't perfect. For starters, most people don't bother searching or reading information (look at the quantity of hub posts in the last 2 days), that's readily available.

For those that do search, there can be 20 different fixes for what appears to be the same exact problem. Due to different factors, there isn't always a one size fits all fix.

They have gotten better at highlighting the solutions on threads (thanks @Geddy), but that means someone still has to be willing to invest in the time to read and research (i found Google search using the terms I'm looking for easiest), which is something you just said you aren't sure if you're willing to do. In that case, even the clearest documentation wouldn't be helpful. 

As you've already seen, so much has changed in the last 6 months alone, it's going to take research. A lot of reading and testing to get caught up. The individual forums are laid out much better which is where i would start. Download the app. Connect to it and play with it. The more familiar you are with it, the more the things you read will make sense and answer a lot of your questions.